You're Not Alone
by Neko Phoenix Girl
Summary: PokéSpecial :: Red's harrowing defeat at the hands of Deoxys on Five Island leaves him scared, discouraged, and dubious of his abilities to protect those he loves. Enter Green, who is not about to let his best friend fall to pieces. :MangaPalletshipping:


Hello again. ^^ So... this would actually be my first try at a Pokémon fic. I'm not a fan of the anime, but I recently finished reading Pokémon Special (also known as Pokémon Adventures in the US) and I fell in LOVE! (hearts) I've officially become a Red fangirl... and a Green fangirl... and an Originalshipping fangirl... xD (huggles all the amazing fanart, and hints in the manga) So of course, I'd retaliate by writing an Originalshipping fanfic! :D It was inspired by the FireRed LeafGreen arc in the PokéSpe manga, when the Kanto pokédex holders have to battle Deoxys and Team Rocket.

Background information: The one-shot begins somewhere in the Five Island forest where Red and the gang are taking refuge while they plan their next move against Deoxys/Team Rocket. Red just suffered a shattering defeat at the hands of the extremely strong DNA Pokémon. Warning, as this one-shot contains spoilers from the Pokémon Adventures FR/LG manga.

Also,

Saur = Venusaur

Poli = Poliwrath

Gyara = Gyarados

Aero = Aerodactyl

Lax = Snorlax

Pika = Pikachu

To those of you unfamiliar with Pokémon Special, those are the nicknames Red gives his monsters, and are used in this piece.

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon Special or any of its characters. If I did, we'd have a true-to-the-manga anime with tons more Originalshipping than it already has. xD

* * *

"…Those guys must have returned to their hideout on Seven Island. Let's set off when the day breaks, Red!"

But instead of receiving a prompt, eager reply from the usually hot-blooded Champion, all Green received was silence as Red remained motionless, sad eyes focused on the burning flames of their camp fire.

"Red," Green moved toward him and placed a hand on his shoulder. He shook him lightly. "What's wrong, Red? Come on, tell me you're not demoralized by just that one defeat."

A bemused smirk appeared on the corner of Red's lips as he let out a forced chuckle. "You make it sound so easy, Green…" His tone dripped with sarcasm, which did not sit well with the Viridian Gym Leader at all.

"What do you mean?"

To everybody's surprise, Red smacked Green's hand away. "I mean, you're saying those big words because YOU weren't the one who went up against that thing!"

Green could not help his quick reaction. Here he was, trying his best to keep his cool in the dire situation, even with his grandfather and Blue's parents missing, but Red wasn't helping. Blue and Bill both gasped as Green harshly pulled Red up by the collar of his shirt so they were face to face. "Say that again?"

"Green, stop it!" came Blue's concerned voice from behind. They shouldn't be fighting amongst themselves, and Red didn't exactly seem to be in the best condition to brave an argument with somebody as close to him as Green was.

"You'd understand too, Green, once you fight it…" Red lowered his head and looked away, his eyes betraying the turmoil he was trying to hide. He bit his lip and tightly balled his hands into fists to stop his fingers from shaking uncontrollably.

Green was taken aback. In all his years of knowing Red, throughout the challenges and experiences they had faced together, never had he seen Red look helpless like this. The Champion, who had grown from an impetuous and brave child to a seasoned trainer with an impressive degree of maturity, had never let any strenuous situation sway his cool and determination. And yet...

"Listen, Red…" Green tried to approach the subject once more, less aggressively this time. "I know you had a hard time against Deoxys. But that was because you were alone. This time, all of us will…"

"It won't make a difference!" Red cried, pulling away from Green, giving his back to him. "Even if we combine forces against Deoxys… we won't stand a chance! We'll only be adding to the list of casualties. I… I just can't…" He stopped mid sentence and shook his head, a single tear glistening before falling to the ground. _"…I can't let that happen to Blue… or more importantly, you…"_

Without warning, he dashed off into the darkness.

"W-Wait, Red!" Blue cried out, but Green had her beat. Without another word, the Viridian gym leader disappeared into the darkness after Red. The girl made a motion to follow, but Bill stopped her. "…Bill?"

The young technological expert shook his head and gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "Let 'em be… 'tis among 'em, y'know?"

The girl glanced from Bill to the dark forest, and bit her lip.

"_Green, please bring him back safely..."

* * *

_

Red tripped onto his knees in the uneven sand, causing his pokéballs to unlatch from his belt and scatter around him. His breathing was ragged and uneven; he hadn't stopped running until he made it to the shore. The night was calm and the gentle sounds from the waves drowned the sobs that escaped the Pallet trainer as he surveyed his beloved monsters.

"I'm… sorry…"

He brought up his pokéballs so he could take a better look at his battered friends, those that had given everything to defend him from Deoxys's final attack, the only reason why he, Red, had come out alive from that confrontation. He saw the painful look on Aero's face as it wrapped its punctured wings around its body. He trembled with guilt when he realized how badly Lax and Gyara were wounded from being his shield, and his chest tightened at the marked injuries over Saur and Poli's bodies. As a trainer... as a _protector__**, **_he had been a failure.

"Aero, Lax, Gyara, Poli, Saur… the pain you suffered from those intense attacks… I… I'm sorry… I'm really… really…"

As if feeling his master's pain, his Pikachu burst out of its pokéball and let out a weak cry as it attempted to climb up his leg. "Chu..."

"Pika." Tears formed in his eyes as he scooped the yellow mouse and held it close. "You fought the hardest… your Thunder attack struck Deoxys so hard it almost went through its body and yet… you're all covered in wounds… All because of _me..._"

He hid his face against Pika's fur as he broke out in sobs again, the tears now rolling. "It's all my fault. Deoxys was hunting ME down. I wasn't enough to protect you… or Saur, or Poli…" His voice lowered down to a whisper. "I am not enough to protect Green from the same fate…"

A casted shadow over him alerted him of another's presence. Red turned sideways to wipe his tears away; he didn't need to look to see who it was. Green said nothing and plopped himself down on the sand next to Red. After a few moments of silence, the green-eyed trainer finally spoke up. His voice was barely a whisper.

"Blaming yourself for everything won't fix anything, you know?"

Red didn't answer, choosing instead to hold Pika as he let his gaze wander over the waves. After what seemed like an eternity, the crimson-eyed trainer finally spoke up in a very shaky voice.

"I was not enough..."

"For...?"

"Protecting those I love..." _"To protect you," he thought._

"Then redeem yourself."

Green's matter-of-fact reply came of no surprise to him. Trust the brunet to be swift and to the point. Something deep inside him was screaming that he should go back into the fight. That if he hadn't been enough the first time, he could try to make the cut the second time; at least now he knew what he was up against. But the sinking feeling deep in his gut told him otherwise. Something had happened back there...

"Green, I... can't."

"And the reason is?"

Green didn't really feel like goading the crimson-eyed boy like this, but he really had no choice. He had a feeling that if he kept inconspicuously pressing further, Red might reveal his true feelings.

"_I want to help you, Red. I don't want to let the person I have come to care so much about suffer through this anguish alone. Now if you would only just tell me..."_

"I-I'm scared."

Green blinked at Red's response. There it was... fear. What could possibly paralyze the hot-blooded ace in his tracks? "What... are you scared of?"

Red returned Pika to its pokéball and took a deep breath as he pulled his legs toward his body. This was the moment of truth. Should he be completely honest with Green, about his true feelings, and the reason why he most feared to face Deoxys again, especially with Green by his side? No... he couldn't... there was too much to risk.

And yet, his heart was yearning for a favorable reply from his beloved ex-rival. But now wasn't really the time, was it?

"_Perhaps a condensed version of the truth? Yes, yes, Red. Very good. Just keep yourself from spilling your guts about how you are utterly in love with your best friend, and everything will be fine." _he thought. Oh how much easier was it said than done.

"Red?"

To Red's surprise, the Viridian gym leader put an arm around his shoulders and gave him a gentle, comforting squeeze. The Champion felt a slight warmth creeping up his cheeks at Green's touch. This was turning difficult. What to do when what he wanted the most was to tell him...

"Back then... when I battled Deoxys..." Red started, his tone low and meek. "I knew... that Deoxys was going to show up..." The boy shuddered as he remembered the creeping feeling he had felt moments before the creature had appeared. "...before it had even arrived."

Green's eyes focused as he listened intently. How did he...

Red's lips quivered as he spoke. "It was as if something struck me from deep within... my blood curdled, and my heart almost leapt out from my chest. I was shaking... but it wasn't out of excitement. I'd never felt anything like that. During and after the battle, it became clear to me... the reason why I got that feeling hit me..."

Red pulled his cap over his eyes to hide the fact that he was now, in fact crying. A shocked Green gasped and wrapped his arms around his best friend in attempted comfort. The Champion got carried away with his tide of emotions. His tone got louder and sounded more frantic.

"Something deep inside my core KNEW that I was no match... that I wouldn't be able to protect my Pokémon... that I couldn't protect the people of Five Island..." He stopped himself and shook his tears away. "It shattered me... because it meant I wouldn't be strong enough to protect whom I loved the most... that I wouldn't be able to protect you!"

As soon as those words left his lips, Red clamped a hand over his mouth, crimson eyes wide. He hadn't meant to said that. _"Oh no..."_

Green froze at those words, looking at Red with a mixture of shock and something else the Champion couldn't recognize. _"Did he mean by that... what I think he meant?"_ The Viridian gym leader's head was spinning as his brain wracked the possible meanings of his best friend's words. Did this mean that Red loved him?

He didn't have much time to think because Red suddenly sprang to his feet, and was now looking at him with quivering crimson eyes. A million thoughts were going through Red's head as he looked at the rattled Green, none of them positive. Of course Green was shocked, and probably disgusted as well. His best friend, a _guy_, had just admitted having romantic feelings for him, in the least graceful of ways. He hadn't meant to let it out; he knew it would just be a big mistake. But he had let it slip, and this outright rejection was more than what he could take at the moment.

"I-I'm sorry..."

Something snapped in Green and he suddenly regained his ability to speak coherently. "Red, I..."

"Just forget I ever said that." And with that, Red turned on his heel and ran. Green was a lot quicker to react this time.

"Red, no. Wait!"

In mere seconds he caught up to the red-eyed trainer and tackled him down to the sand. The two rolled around as Red struggled to get out of his grip. With great difficulty, Green managed to pin Red down on the sand, but his quarry was relentless. Red fought back tears as he avoided Green's gaze, attempting to escape the hold.

"Green," he pleaded. "Let me go..."

But Green didn't want to let him go. He wanted to hold Red close and calm him down, correct the misunderstanding, tell him there was absolutely nothing to be sorry about. Yet Red still struggled.

"Green... please..."

He had but one chance to stop this, and he was willing to gamble everything on one move. Before Red could say anything else, Green leaned down and pressed his lips against his in a kiss. And all of a sudden, the world came to a halt. Red stopped his struggling, and Green took this as a sign to keep going. He pinned Red's hands on either side of his face and continued kissing him slowly.

The Champion had fallen into complete submission. His body trembled as the object of his affections pulled away from the kiss, leaving him flustered, with flushed cheeks and labored breath.

"There is nothing for you to be sorry for..." Green whispered as his eyes locked onto the shaky crimson of Red's own, those expressive eyes that gave away all those emotions from this boy that so frequently wore his heart on his sleeve. Right now they betrayed that Red was as his most vulnerable state; a new side of Red that he was sure (and hoped) nobody else had seen before.

Red searched Green's eyes for something, anything that could enlighten him to what had just happened. What did this kiss mean? Was it simply Green's ploy to get him to calm down, or did it really mean something else, something deeper? The Viridian gym leader could tell from the panicked look in his best friend's eyes, that he was begging for a sign that the kiss hadn't been a mistake.

"It wasn't a mistake..." Green whispered as he captured Red's lips with his own once more. He let go of Red's arms, which immediately snaked around his neck as the crimson-eyed trainer kissed him back fervently. Green propped himself with one hand, while the other tangled in Red's hair as he pulled him closer.

* * *

"_You don't have to be afraid..."_

"_But I'm not strong enough..."_

"_You're not alone..."_

"_Green..."_

"_We'll defeat it... together."

* * *

_

The sun rose majestically from amongst the waves as two Pallet trainers looked on, leaning against each other on the soft sand. Green's fingers traced the back of Red's hand gently before intertwining themselves with Red's own.

"You will fight alongside me."

It wasn't a question as much as it was a statement. Green gave him a pointed look, and Red knew he would have no choice. But he also knew Green was right on what he had said earlier. This time didn't have to be a repeat of last time.

So what if the thought of facing Deoxys again ran chills down his spine, and made his heart race uncomfortably like a runaway stallion. The best way to overcome one's fear is to face it... and defeat it. And this time, he wouldn't be alone.

~ The End

* * *

A/N: The feeling that Red got before meeting Deoxys was due to his connection with the pokémon, but that was changed for the purpose of this piece.

Cheesy, fluffy/angsty and somewhat pointless, I know. Also, the ending was crappy as I was running out of ideas. . But I really hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. :)

Peace, Love, Red and Green (heart)

~ Arisa Winters


End file.
